Month: July 2014

After reviewing yet another restaurant where I chose a cheeseburger, you may be beginning to wonder if cheeseburgers are all I eat. Trust me – they are not! I am thrilled to tell you about my experience this weekend at Burger 21, a franchise known best for their burgers, hot dogs, fries, and shakes. I had been wanting to try Burger 21 for awhile because of all of the good things I’d heard from others in the gluten free community. Thankfully it did not disappoint!

Gluten Free at Burger 21

The restaurant itself has a very casual vibe to it. You order at the counter, and I was pleased to see the gluten free menu available with the regular menu so I didn’t even have to ask for it. They have a decent selection of burgers and salads as well as french fries and sweet potato fries available.

I ordered the Bacon Cheesy with cheddar cheese as well as a half and half basket containing both french fries and sweet potato fries. There is also a bar area with different condiments and sauces you can try, and the gluten free options are clearly marked GF.

The cheeseburger would probably rank as one of the best I’ve ever had. The gluten free burgers are served on French Meadow Bakery buns which had a nice taste and consistency – even better than Udi’s. Sidenote: from what I read online about French Meadow Bakery, it is the longest continuously running certified organic bakery in the U.S. Also, the hamburger buns are dairy, lactose and casein free.

The burger was juicy and tasted very fresh. They were just the right size too, although there was the option to double the meat for $2.99 if you wanted. The fries – particularly the sweet potato fries – were crispy and delicious. We ordered the 1 lb. basket not realizing just how many fries it would be! Even so, we finished them all.

I noticed that a lot of the people around us ordered what looked to be excellent gourmet hot dogs as well as sliders. I hope that these options will be available on the gluten free menu soon.

For dessert, they have floats and shakes. The chocolate peanut butter signature shake was calling out my name, but I didn’t want to overdo it – especially after eating so many fries! It will definitely be on my list when I return though!

At this time there are only twelve Burger 21 locations, but as good as the food is, I would expect this chain to take off. Unfortunately there is only one location in North Carolina (Charlotte) so far, but you can also check them out if traveling to Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, or New Jersey. I will definitely be a return customer!